Lethal Elegance: The Art of Samurai Sword Fittings by Earle, Joe (Author) - 2004

MFA. Used - Like New. Fine. Paperback. 2004. Originally published at $37.5.

MFA. New. Fine. Paperback. 2004. In publisher's shrinkwrap. Originally published at $37.5.

MFA Publications, 2011-03-31. Paperback. Used: Good.

MFA Publications, 2011-03-31. Paperback. Used:Good.

MFA Publications, 2011. Paperback. New. New tightly bound softcover in glossy printed wraps. 4to. Clean text free of marks or underlining. Beautiful color illustrations on glossy paper throughout the text. Includes source notes, glossary, bibliography, map, list of Japanese signatures and an index. 256 pp. Fast shipping in a secure book box mailer with tracking. As the "soul of the samurai," the sword is famously both the symbol and instrument of Japanese military prowess. Less known, at least in the west, is its role as a fashion accessory or status symbol. More than the weapon itself, it was the sword's metal fittings--from the hand guard to the small decorative plates on the hilt--that reflected the complexities of samurai life. Some fittings were meant to convey the honor and self-control expected of a samurai, while other, more flamboyant fittings reflected the samurai's leisure-time persona as "man about town." Later, when the wearing of swords spread beyond the samurai class, both the… Read More

256 pp.; c.300 colour illus., map, glossary, Japanese Signatures, index, biblio.. Boston, 2004. Pbk. KEYWORDS: 029 Japan - Samurai/Swords